The 10 best mountain bike flat pedals

The 10 best mountain bike flat pedals

The 10 best mountain bike flat pedals

Pedals. At the most basic of levels the simple fact is that you need a set of pedals if you’re going to be riding a bike. You’ve then got two choices; clips or flats. The thing is though that even if you usually ride clipped in the chances are that you’ll also want a set of flats on standby. They could just be for those times when you just want a causal piss about with some mates, or they could be for those times when you’re faced with a quagmire of a race track and only a set of flats are going to cut the mustard. Basically then, everyone needs a decent set of flat pedals.

What makes a good set of flat pedals then? Well easily the biggest requirement has to be grip. The last thing you want is your feet flying off your pedals, especially when they are one of the few contact points you have with your bike. Decent grip comes from a combination of good overall shape, and well placed and designed pins. Good pins aren’t much use though if they break at the first sign of terra firma, and that’s where the design of them becomes even more important. Of course all pins are eventually going to fail, but when they do you want them to be easily replaceable, and not write-off your pedals.

The other key things to look for in a set of good flat pedals is a pedal body that can take a beating without falling apart, and some bearings which are equally reliable. The recent trend for super thin pedals has meant that many pedals now suffer from short-lifespan bearings, so if you want the improved feel, ground clearance and stability of a thinner pedal you may have to compromise by rebuilding your pedals a little more often. Some manufacturers have tried to get around this problem by using bigger inboard bearings, but many riders don’t get on with the ‘bulge’ that comes as a result of this. We think there’s a happy medium and have actually found ourselves going back to some slightly thicker pedals. The final thing to consider is weight because you obviously don’t want to weigh your bike down if you can help it, but that said we wouldn’t buy a set of pedals purely based on weight, particularly if you’re looking for some that’ll take the hits.

There are an awful lot of pedals on the market these days, almost too much choice, but we’ve made things a whole lot easier for you by putting together this list of the 10 best mountain bike flat pedals. We rate all of them very highly indeed and would be happy to run any of them, and we think you’ll be equally impressed too. So, without further ado, and in no particular order, just click below to discover our pick of the best flats…

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